


ozone

by skybelow



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Drug Use, Drugs, F/M, I Don't Even Know, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-03 01:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19453492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skybelow/pseuds/skybelow
Summary: Betty's excited to see Archie who's back in town with Josie to perform at the opening of a new bar - but where's Jughead?





	ozone

“Hey, Jug. I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight. Josie and Archie are playing at that new bar, remember? Anyways, I’m sure it’ll be great!” Betty cringed at the fake cheerfulness in her voice. “Don’t forget you owe me one. I’ll see you there. Love you, Jug. Bye.” 

That was only the first voicemail she had left for Jughead today. Then there was the one when she was getting ready to leave, the text when she was heading over, and the voicemail she left once she got there and he was nowhere in sight. Archie had been excited about this for weeks now. The new bar was kicking off its opening night with hometown legends Josie and Archie taking a break from their tour to return to Riverdale to perform - one night only. Betty loved that Archie got to pursue his dream, even if that meant she had to go months at a time without seeing him, but he had Josie and the two of them were happy, even if she never quite understood their “no labels, just love and support and partnership” situation. Maybe it was because they were always so in tune with one another’s emotions and needs. 

She sighed and checked her phone again. Nothing from Jughead. A sudden gust of cold wind blew in and she shoved her hands under her armpits.  _ If Jug had showed by now I’d either be inside or wearing his jacket. Or both.  _ She glanced over at the bouncer.  _ It’s only a matter of time before Reggie notices me and starts making small talk or asking questions.  _ She dialed Jughead’s number without even looking - he was every single one of her recent calls, anyways. 

When he actually picked up, she felt dizzy for a second, “Hey, Jug, did you get my messages?” The better question would be, “why did you ignore all my messages?” but she wasn’t looking to start a fight. Not when things mattered so much to Archie. He and Josie had car trouble getting into town, so she hadn’t had a chance to see him before they had to go do sound check. 

“I’m not gonna make it tonight, Betty,” he said. Something sounded wrong. 

“If it’s your bike again, I can come pick you up, Jug. Don’t worry about it. We’ll just be fashionably late,” Betty chirped, already walking back down the street to her car. “I’m sure Archie won’t mind.”

“I said I’m not gonna make it tonight,” Jughead snapped back. 

“But, Jug, we had plans,”  _ don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.  _ “I’m already here waiting, alone, and -”

“If you need company, then call Veronica.” And with that, he hung up on her, leaving Betty halfway between her car and where Reggie stood waiting to let her inside.

* * *

As soon as he hung up on Betty, Jughead clenched his phone and then threw it against the wall. God fucking damnit. He knew better than to keep doing this, and yet… He should’ve remembered. Tonight was Archie’s show with Josie, and it was all Betty had talked about for weeks. And yet here he was, too high to move, let alone show face. And he knew. He knew when he woke up that just a little something would spiral down to here, but he did it anyways. Jughead buried his head in his hands. 

“Out! Everybody out!” he shouted, and the swarm of Serpents that had been in his trailer were gone before he could even look up. He leaned forward, picked up a cigarette from a box on the table, and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes as he took a drag. When he heard the trailer door open again, his voice filled with rage again as he said, “I said get. Fucking. Out.” 

“Jug?” 

When he realized it was her voice he felt himself soften, then all of his insides turned to lead. The door pushed open further, and he knew he couldn’t make it over there in time to stop her. “Betty,” he pleaded, standing up too quickly and losing all sense of balance. 

“Jug, I-” she took in the room around her, and he watched her heart break in real time just by the look on her face. Her eyes were already red and puffy.  _ They usually are these days _ . The smoke in the air was the most obvious, clouding between the two of them. She had coughed when she first opened the door and it hit her in the face. It took her longer to take in everything else - all the empty cans and bottles, the bags of pills, and of course, the white lines on the coffee table and kitchen counter. Betty was collapsing in on herself in slow motion, but he wasn’t sure if that was the drugs or the guilt making her look that way. He was still reeling from how fast he jumped up when he heard her voice. 

Neither one of them was sure what to say. 

He spoke first. “Betty,” he said softly.

“Really?” She choked out. “I don’t understand, Jug. I don’t understand why you always do this to me.” It started as a strangled sob and ended as a scream. The rest of her face was turning as red as her eyes. 

“Why  _ I  _ do this to  _ you _ ? Betty, you’re the one that told me I’m ‘sick in the head’!” 

“Because I wanted you to get help, Jughead! Because I love you!” 

He noticed the catch in her voice when she said ‘love.’ “I don’t deserve it,” he spat back, turning away. 

She stepped forward, trying to close the distance between them, “You keep telling me that. And you keep hurting me, but I still want you.” Jughead didn’t say anything, and the only move he made was to take another drag off the cigarette between his fingers. Betty’s voice softened the slightest bit, “Why do you do this to yourself?” 

He knew he needed her, and he knew she cared, but he couldn’t stop sabotaging things to self destruct every chance he got. She had brought so much light to his life, but it hadn’t lasted, and every time he spiraled he fell deeper and deeper, and it was getting harder to hide it from her. Jughead took another drag then mumbled, “I don’t think I’ll ever get sober.”

“What was that, Jug?” Betty stepped forward, gently touching his shoulder.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get sober!” he shouted, trying to turn and brush her hand off but stumbling and falling to the ground, catching himself on the coffee table by sticking his hand into the white powder and the razor next to it. He knew how pathetic he must look to her. This was the part where she took pity on him, and helped him to bed, and stayed the night even if she was so angry she stayed on her side of the bed or on the couch. 

He saw her take the slightest step towards him, and then she shook her head, “No, this has to stop. Why am I doing this to myself? I don’t… I can’t…” Betty paused to take a few breaths and steady her voice, “I can’t do this anymore. This has to stop right now, Jug. I’m done.”

She turned to head out the door, and the last things Jughead remembered hearing were the sound of Betty unable to control her sobs, the slam of the front door, and the engine of her car starting outside. 


End file.
